Temporospatial software-defined networking for NGSO satellite networks

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provides for a system that includes a network controller. The network controller is configured to receive information from nodes of a network, where nodes include one node that is in motion relative to another node. The network controller is also configured to generate a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on the information, and determine a topology of the network based on the table. Additionally, the network controller is configured to receive client data information from a client device, and determine flows for the topology based on the client data information. Each flow includes one or more requirements for a routing path through the network. The network controller is configured to generate a network configuration for the topology based on the flows, and send instructions to the nodes of the network for implementing the network configuration and transmitting client data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/497,738, filed Apr. 26, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Information can be transmitted over directional point-to-point networks, such as aerospace and other mobile networks. In such networks, links can be formed between pairs of nodes by aiming transceivers of each node pair towards each other. In some implementations, nodes may include non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites or other high-altitude platforms (HAPs) that are in motion relative to the Earth.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure provides for a system. The system includes a network controller configured to receive information from a plurality of nodes of a network. The plurality of nodes includes a first node that is in motion relative to a second node. The network controller is also configured to generate a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on the received information, determine a topology of the network for a given point in time based on the generated table, receive client data information from one or more client devices, and determine a plurality of flows for the determined topology based on the client data information. Each of the plurality of flows includes one or more requirements for a routing path through the network. The network controller is further configured to generate a network configuration for the determined topology based on the determined plurality of flows, and send instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the generated network configuration and transmitting client data at the given point in time.

In one example implementation, the system also includes the plurality of nodes. In another embodiment, the plurality of nodes includes one or more ground stations and one or more high-altitude platforms. The plurality of nodes is additionally or alternatively configured to perform free-space optical communication. In a further embodiment, the table includes scheduled times or time frames including future times during which a given node or link is predicted to be available based on a predicted location or a predicted link metric.

Additionally or alternatively, the client data information includes historical client data trends, and the network controller is configured to determine the plurality of flows for the determined topology by predicting the client data information based on the historical client data trends. In another implementation, the network configuration includes one or more routing paths. Each routing path satisfies the one or more requirements of one of the plurality of flows. In this example, the instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network cause the plurality of nodes to steer one or more transceiver based on the one or more routing paths. Also in this example, the instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network alternatively cause at least one of the plurality of nodes to update a routing table according to the one or more routing paths.

The network controller is alternatively also configured to generate a series of network configurations and a schedule for the series of network configurations. In other embodiments, the network controller is optionally also configured to determine a second plurality of flows between pairs of nodes in the network based on a second topology of the network for a second point in time, where each of the nodes in the pairs of nodes is able to communicate with the one or more client devices outside of the network, send a message to a first client device of the one or more client devices, where the message includes the second plurality of flows and a request for second client data information, receive a response from the first client device including the second client data information, and generate a second network configuration based on the second plurality of flows and the second client data information. In a further embodiment, the network controller is also configured to determine that a time for transmitting client data is the given point in time using the client data information and the determined topology of the network at the given point in time.

Other aspects of the disclosure provide for a method. The method includes receiving, by a network controller for a network, information from a plurality of nodes of the network. The plurality of nodes includes a first node that is in motion relative to a second node. The method also includes generating, by the network controller, a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on the received information, determining, by the network controller, a topology of the network for a given point in time based on the generated table, receiving, by the network controller, client data information from one or more client devices, and determining, by the network controller, a plurality of flows for the determined topology based on the client data information. Each of the plurality of flows includes one or more requirements for a routing path through the network. Furthermore, the method includes generating, by the network controller, a network configuration for the determined topology based on the determined plurality of flows, and sending, by the network controller, instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the generated network configuration and transmitting client data at the given point in time.

In one example embodiment, the table includes scheduled times or time frames including future times during which a given node or link is predicted to be available based on a predicted location or a predicted link metric. In another embodiment, the client data information includes historical client data trends, and the method also includes determining, by the network controller, the plurality of flows for the determined topology by predicting the client data information based on the historical client data trends.

Additionally or alternatively, the network configuration includes one or more routing paths. Each routing path, in this example, satisfies the one or more requirements of one of the plurality of flows. Also in this example, the instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network optionally cause the plurality of nodes to steer one or more transceiver based on the one or more routing paths. The instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network alternative or additionally cause at least one of the plurality of nodes to update a routing table according to the one or more routing paths. In addition, the network controller is optionally also configured to generated a series of network configurations and a schedule for the series of network configurations. In a further embodiment, the plurality of nodes is configured to perform free-space optical communication.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of an example directional point-to-point network 100 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of a portion 200 of the network 100 shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a network controller 300 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an example table 400 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram 500 of a method in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a functional diagram of a topology 600 of the network 100 shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a functional diagram of another topology 700 of the network 100 shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a functional diagram of a routing path 800 that may be implemented in the topology 600 shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

The technology relates to a Temporospatial Software-Defined Networking (TS-SDN) operating system configured for use in an aerospace communication network. Particularly, the TS-SDN operating system may be used in aerospace communication networks that include non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites or other high-altitude platforms (HAPs) as nodes. The TS-SDN operating system may schedule and implement the services and applications that control, monitor, and reconfigure the network layer and switching functionality.

In operation, a TS-SDN controller may periodically update a list of available nodes, such as, for example, NGSO satellites configured for free-space optical communication (FSOC), and available routes, or flows, through the aerospace network. The list may include a schedule of the available nodes and available flows. The availability of nodes and flows may be based on at least a forecast of the trajectory of moving nodes. The available flows through the aerospace network from a given region to all other available regions may be advertised from an Software-Defined Networking (SDN)-enabled router in the given region. The TS-SDN controller may automatically schedule the tasking of FSOC terminals and transmit the schedule to the FSOC terminals to synchronize changes to the aerospace network according to the schedule.

Example Systems

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example directional point-to-point network 100. The network 100 is a directional point-to-point computer network consisting of nodes mounted on various land- and air-based devices, some of which may change position with respect to other nodes in the network 100 over time. For example, the network 100 includes nodes associated with each of two land-based datacenters 105 a and 105 b (generally referred to as datacenters 105), nodes associated with each of two ground stations 107 a and 107 b (generally referred to as ground stations 107), and nodes associated with each of four airborne high altitude platforms (HAPs) 110 a-110 d (generally referred to as HAPs 110). As shown, HAP 110 a is a blimp, HAP 110 b is an airplane, HAP 110 c is a balloon, and HAP 110 d is a satellite. In some embodiments, nodes in network 100 may be equipped to perform FSOC, making network 100 an FSOC network. Additionally or alternatively, nodes in network 100 may be equipped to communicate via radio-frequency signals or other communication signal capable of travelling through free space. Arrows shown between a pair of nodes represent possible communication links 120, 122, 130-137 between the nodes. The network 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is illustrative only, and in some implementations the network 100 may include additional or different nodes. For example, in some implementations, the network 100 may include additional HAPs, which may be balloons, blimps, airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellites, or any other form of high altitude platform.

In some implementations, the network 100 may serve as an access network for client devices such as cellular phones, laptop computers, desktop computers, wearable devices, or tablet computers. The network 100 also may be connected to a larger network, such as the Internet, and may be configured to provide a client device with access to resources stored on or provided through the larger computer network. In some implementations, HAPs 110 can include wireless transceivers associated with a cellular or other mobile network, such as eNodeB base stations or other wireless access points, such as WiMAX or UMTS access points. Together, HAPs 110 may form all or part of a wireless access network. HAPs 110 may connect to the datacenters 105, for example, via backbone network links or transit networks operated by third parties. The datacenters 105 may include servers hosting applications that are accessed by remote users as well as systems that monitor or control the components of the network 100. HAPs 110 may provide wireless access for the users, and may route user requests to the datacenters 105 and return responses to the users via the backbone network links.

As shown in FIG. 2, each node, such as ground stations 107 and HAPs 110 may include one or more transceivers configured to create one or more links, such as links 130-137, between a given HAP 110 and another node in the network. Referring to HAP 110 a, each of the nodes, such as ground stations 107 and HAPs 110 of network 100, may include one or more processors 210, memory 212, and one or more transceivers 220. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, only ground station 107 a and HAPs 110 a, 110 d are shown in FIG. 2. However, other ground stations and HAPs in the network may have the same or as similar configuration as ground station 107 or HAPS 110 a, 110 d.

The one or more processors 210 may be any conventional processors, such as commercially available CPUs. Alternatively, the one or more processors may be a dedicated device such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other hardware-based processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). Although FIG. 2 functionally illustrates the one or more processors 210 and memory 212 as being within the same block, it will be understood that the one or more processors 210 and memory 212 may actually comprise multiple processors and memories that may or may not be stored within the same physical housing. Accordingly, references to a processor or computer will be understood to include references to a collection of processors or computers or memories that may or may not operate in parallel.

Memory 212 stores information accessible by the one or more processors 210, including data 214, and instructions 216, that may be executed by the one or more processors 210. The memory may be of any type capable of storing information accessible by the processor, including a computer-readable medium such as a hard-drive, memory card, ROM, RAM, DVD or other optical disks, as well as other write-capable and read-only memories. The system and method may include different combinations of the foregoing, whereby different portions of the data 214 and instructions 216 are stored on different types of media. In the memory of each node, such as memory 212 of HAP 110 a, a routing table may be stored that indicate how signals received at each node should be routed, or transmitted. For example, the routing table stored in memory 212 may indicate that a signal received from ground station 107 a should be routed to HAP 110 d.

Data 214 may be retrieved, stored or modified by the one or more processors 210 in accordance with the instructions 216. For instance, although the system and method is not limited by any particular data structure, the data 214 may be stored in computer registers, in a relational database as a table having a plurality of different fields and records, XML documents or flat files. The data 214 may also be formatted in any computer-readable format such as, but not limited to, binary values or Unicode. By further way of example only, image data may be stored as bitmaps comprised of grids of pixels that are stored in accordance with formats that are compressed or uncompressed, lossless (e.g., BMP) or lossy (e.g., JPEG), and bitmap or vector-based (e.g., SVG), as well as computer instructions for drawing graphics. The data 214 may comprise any information sufficient to identify the relevant information, such as numbers, descriptive text, proprietary codes, references to data stored in other areas of the same memory or different memories (including other network locations) or information that is used by a function to calculate the relevant data.

The instructions 216 may be any set of instructions to be executed directly (such as machine code) or indirectly (such as scripts) by the one or more processors 210. For example, the instructions 216 may be stored as computer code on the computer-readable medium. In that regard, the terms “instructions” and “programs” may be used interchangeably herein. The instructions 216 may be stored in object code format for direct processing by the one or more processors 210, or in any other computer language including scripts or collections of independent source code modules that are interpreted on demand or compiled in advance. Functions, methods and routines of the instructions 216 are explained in more detail below.

The one or more transceivers 220 may be mounted to actuators that can be controlled, or steered, to point in a desired direction. To form a link between two nodes, such as the node associated with the HAP 110 a and the node associated with the HAP 110 d, the transceivers of the respective nodes can be controlled to point in the direction of one another so that data can be sent and received between the nodes. In some implementations, the power of the signals transmitted by each transceiver can also be controlled by the one or more processors of respective nodes to facilitate formation of the links 130-137 in the network 100 (see FIG. 1, for instance). For example, nodes that are separated by a relatively large distance can be configured to operate at a higher power to compensate for the reduction in signal-to-noise ratio that occurs over the distance separating the two nodes. Nodes that are spaced nearer to one another may be controlled to operate at a relatively lower power so as to save power.

In some implementations, the network 100 can be an SDN that is controlled by an SDN controller, such as network controller 300 depicted in FIG. 3. The network controller 300 may be located at one of the network nodes or at a separate platform, such as, for example, in one of the datacenters 105. The nodes of the network 100 can be configured to communicate with one another using the steerable transceivers, such as the one or more transceivers 220. As the HAPs 110 move with respect to one another and with respect to the datacenters 105 and ground stations 107 over time, some of the links shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1 may become infeasible. For example, the link 130 between the ground station 107 a and the HAP 110 a may not be feasible when the path of the HAP 110 a brings the HAP 110 a into a position in which it is out of range of the ground station 107 a, or in which the earth is positioned between it and the ground station 107 a. Thus, due to the continuous movement of the HAPs 110, the topology of the network 100 may require regular (i.e. periodic) or irregular reconfiguration to maintain connectivity and to satisfy determined network flows.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram 300 of network controller 300. The network controller 300 may be configured to send control messages to the network 100 to configure the topology of the network 100, to pass routing information to the nodes 107, 110 of the network 100, and to schedule changes to the topology of the network 100 to transmit client data. As shown in FIG. 3, the network controller 300 may include one or more processors 310, memory, 320, and communications system 340. The one or more processors 310 may be similar to the one or more processors 210 described above.

Memory 320 may store information accessible by the one or more processors 310, including data 322 and instructions 324 that may be executed by processor 310. Memory 320, data 322, and instructions 324 may be configured similarly to memory 212, data 214, and instructions 216 described above. The data 322 may include a table representing all of the available nodes and possible links in the network 100 at a given time or time frame, such as table 400 in FIG. 4. The table 400 may have a column for every node and link in the network 100 and a row for a time or time frame. In some cases, the columns and the rows may be reversed. The table 400 may also store, for each node and each link, scheduled times or time frames during which the node or link is available. Alternatively, a graph or other form of information organization may be used. The instructions 324 may include a topology and routing manager module 326, a topology determination module 328, a flow determination module 330, a solver module 332, a flight control module 334, and a scheduling module 336.

Returning to FIG. 3, the communications system 340 may be configured to communicate with the nodes 107, 110 of network 100 as well as one or more client devices 350. In some embodiments, the communication system 340 includes a Control to Data-Plane Interface (CDPI) driver configured to communicate with a CDPI agent at each of the nodes 107, 110. In addition, the communications system 340 of the network controller 300 may include one or more northbound interface (NBI) agents configured to communicate with an NBI driver at each client device 350 associated with one or more SDN applications. The communication system 340 may optionally or alternatively be configured to transmit and receive a signal via radio frequencies, optical frequencies, optical fiber, cable, or other communication means to and from the nodes 107, 110 in the network 100 and the one or more client devices 350.

Each client device 350 may be a personal computing devices or a server with one or more processors 360, memory 370, data 372, and instructions 374 similar to those described above with respect to the one or more processors 210 and 310, memories 212 and 320, data 214 and 322, and instructions 216 and 324. Personal computing devices may include a personal computer that has all of the components normally used in connection with a personal computer such as a central processing unit (CPU), memory (e.g., RAM and internal hard drives) storing data and instructions, an electronic display (e.g., a monitor having a screen, a small LCD touch-screen, a projector, a television, or any other electrical device that is operable to display information), user input (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, touch-screen or microphone), camera, speakers, a network interface device, and all of the components used for connecting these elements to one another. Personal computing devices may also include mobile devices such as PDAs, cellular phones, and the like. Indeed, client devices 350 may include any device capable of processing instructions and transmitting data to and from humans and other computers including general purpose computers, network computers lacking local storage capability, and set-top boxes for televisions. In some embodiments, client devices may be associated with one or more SDN applications and may have one or more NBI drivers.

Turning to the modules of the instructions 324 of FIG. 3, the topology and routing manager module 326 may cause the one or more processors 310 to interface between the network controller 300 and the network 100. Using the topology and routing manager module 326, the one or more processors 310 may receive information from each of the nodes within the network 100. For example, in some implementations, the topology and routing manager module 326 may cause the one or more processors 310 to receive information from each node 107, 110 in the network 100 corresponding to the current location of each node, the predicted path of each node, the current links associated with each node, and the routing information stored by each node. Information received from each node may also include weather conditions, turbulence, radiation, or other reports regarding other conditions that may affect FSOC between nodes. Each node also may send to the one or more processors 310 information corresponding to any failed links, which may occur due to unforeseen obstructions between nodes, turbulence at a node, or failure of one or more transceivers.

The topology and routing manager module 326 may also cause one or more processors 310 to receive predicted link metrics and conditions. For example, a predicted link metric may include a predicted value of a network performance metric for a hypothetical link that may be formed currently or in the future based on information received from the nodes 107, 110. Network performance metrics may include bandwidth capacity, latency, or link lifetime duration, and can be based on the predicted relative motion or trajectory of the nodes 107, 110 in the network 100. Link lifetime duration may represent the period of time during which a link is feasible in the network 100. Weather forecasts in node locations, predicted node locations or predicted links may also be received by the one or more processors 310 from the nodes 107, 110 or optionally from a remote system.

Using the topology and routing manager module 326, the one or more processors 310 may store the information received from the network 100 in the memory 320. For instance, the table 400 representing all of the available nodes and possible links in the network 100 may be updated or annotated with information relevant for a particular node or link in the table. Failed links, updated trajectories, forecasted conditions, etc. may also be noted and stored in the table 400.

The topology determination module 328 may cause the one or more processors 310 to determine a current or future topology of the network 100. The determination of the current topology of the network 100 may be made based on the information received and stored by the one or more processors using the topology and routing manager module 326. For example, the topology determination module 328 may cause the one or more processors 310 to aggregate the information relating to the current location of each node 107, 110, the links 130-137 formed between each pair of nodes, and any failed links that may exist within the network 100. The one or more processors 310 may receive this information through use of the topology and routing manager module 326, or may retrieve this information from the memory 320.

Additional information may also be used by the one or more processors 310 using the topology determination module 328 to determine the current topology of the network 100. Predicted link metrics received by the one or more processors 310 using the topology and routing manager module 326 and may also be used to determine the bandwidth, quality of service, and other characteristics of available links in the current topology. In some implementations, using the topology determination module 328, the one or more processors 310 may also receive information through using the flight control module 334 corresponding to the flight paths of the airborne network nodes, such as HAPs 110, at a particular time or over a particular time frame at or near the current time, and the determination of the current topology may be made based also on the received flight information.

To determine a future topology of the network 100, the one or more processors 310 may aggregate location information, predicted link conditions, flight information, and/or weather forecasts related to a future time using the topology determination module 328. The one or more processor 310 may access the information stored in the table 400 or elsewhere in the memory 320 regarding available nodes and links at the future time, location information, predicted link conditions, flight information, and/or weather forecasts. The information for the future time may be used by the one or more processors 310 to determine where nodes are predicted to be and what the availability of nodes and links are predicted to be at the future time.

The topology determination module 328 may cause the one or more processors 310 to store the current or future topology or other topology information in the memory 320, such as by updating the table 400 representing all of the available nodes and possible links in the network 100 and the scheduled times or time frames associated with each node or link.

The flow determination module 330 may cause the one or more processors 310 to determine all of the flows that are determined in the network 100 at a given time or time frame. A given flow may be one or more requirements for a routing path through the network 100. For example, each flow may comprise a start station, an end station, a time frame, a minimum bandwidth, or other requirement for transmission. The one or more processors 310 may determine the flows based on the topology information determined using the topology determination module 328 and/or information regarding characteristics of client data of the one or more client devices 350. The client data information may be received by the one or more processors 310 using the scheduling module 336 as described below from the one or more client devices 350 or a remote system. The client data information may include the sources and destinations for client data, an amount of client data to be transmitted, and/or a timing for transmission of client data.

The minimum bandwidth of a flow may be preset or predetermined by the one or more processors 310 given available system resources and link capabilities or alternatively, may be determined based on requirements included in the client data. Larger bandwidths may be set for flows transporting larger amounts of data. The one or more processors 310 may determine a flow between a start station and a destination station through the network capable of transmitting the amount of client data at the requested time. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 310 may also determine other information related to determined flows, such as the class of service or quality of service for each determined flow. The other information may be based on requirements received from the client device.

In some implementations, the flow determination module 330 may cause the one or more processors 310 to aggregate the client data from the one or more client devices 350 to determine the total amount of bandwidth required between each node pair in the network 100. The aggregated client data may be stored, for example, in the memory 320. Furthermore, the client data may be aggregated at a granular level. For example, the network data for each pair of nodes may be aggregated by class of service, quality of service, or any other relevant network traffic discriminator. The flows may be determined further based on any relevant network traffic discriminator.

In other cases, historical client data trends may be used to predict the client data amounts, sources, and destinations at a future point in time. The flow determination module 330 may cause the one or more processors 310 to determine a plurality of available flows between every node directly connectable to a client device at the future point in time. Directly connectable nodes, such as ground stations 107, may be able to communicate with a client device without use of the network 100. The predicted client data amounts between each node pair may be used to determine the bandwidth requirements between each node pair.

Alternatively, in the absence of client data information, the one or more processors 310 may determine a plurality of available flows between every node directly connectable to a client device at the current or future time. The determination of the plurality of available flows may be based on the current or future topology. In addition, the determination may be based on minimum system requirements.

The flow determination module 330 may cause the one or more processors 310 to store the determined flows in the memory 320. In some examples, the one or more processors 310 may annotate the table with the flows.

The solver module 332 may cause the one or more processors 310 to generate a network configuration based on the table stored in the memory. The network configuration may represent a feasible network topology that is capable of satisfying all determined network flows and may include a list of nodes and links that would be in use in the feasible network topology. The network configuration may be generated by the one or more processors 310 based on the topology for a given point in time in the table and on the network performance metrics of the topology at the given point in time. Various network performance metrics, such as, for example, link bandwidth, link latency, flow bandwidth, flow priority, link switching time (i.e., the time required to implement a new topology in the network 100), link duration, and/or topology duration, may be modeled as weighted constraints for the topology at the given point in time. In some embodiments, one or more network performance metrics may not be included in the table stored in the memory, but may be received from another module, another node, or from a remote system. The one or more processors 310 may also compute routing paths for the determined flows over the topology represented by the network configuration. A given routing path may be one way to implement a given flow that satisfies the determined flow requirements and may include specific nodes and links in the network.

In addition, information corresponding to a previous state of the network and a previous network topology may also be used to determine the network configuration. For example, the one or more processors 310 may generate the network configuration based on at least in part a number of changes from the previous network topology required for the network to implement the network configuration and an amount of time required for the network to make the number of changes. For example, changes may include steering a transceiver to point in a new direction or changing a routing table stored at a memory of a node. Steering the transceiver may take more take than changing the routing table stored at the memory of the node. The generated network configuration may require a number of changes is below a threshold number and/or the amount of time below a threshold amount of time.

After the one or more processors 310 has generated the network configuration and routing paths using the solver module 332, the one or more processors 310 may control the nodes of the network 100 according to the topology and routing manager module 326 to implement the topology represented by the generated network configuration by sending implementation instructions to the nodes to cause the nodes to form the links included in the generated network configuration (e.g., by steering their respective transceivers, adjusting their respective transmission power levels, setting their transmission and reception frequency bands, etc.) and update routing tables stored at the memory at each node according to the computed routing paths for the determined flows.

In some embodiments, a series of network configurations may be generated using the solver module 332. A schedule for the series of network configurations may also be determined by the one or more processors using the solver module 332, which may be transmitted to the nodes of the network 100 through use of the topology and routing manager module 326. For some pairs of subsequent network configurations in the series of network configurations, the difference between the earlier network configuration and the later network configuration may be a single change that may not involve changing the direction of transceivers, such as a routing change at a single node. Routing tables at each node may also be updated with a schedule of changes based on the schedule for the series of network configurations.

The flight control module 334 may cause the one or more processors 310 to generate flight instructions for the airborne nodes, such as HAPs 110, regarding the flight paths of the airborne nodes. For example, the one or more processors 310 may be unable to determine a network configuration using the solver module 332 representing a network topology that is capable of satisfying all of the determined network flows. The one or more processors may determine that the reasons for this failure using the solver module 332 is that one or more of the airborne network nodes in the network 100 has travelled too far from the other network nodes to be able to form a link. In response, using the flight control module 334, the one or more processor 310 may generate and transmit flight instructions for the airborne nodes of the network 100 that cause the airborne nodes to alter their flight paths such that additional links may be formed. For example, the flight instructions may cause the airborne nodes to move closer to one another or to avoid obstructions. After the nodes have been repositioned according to the flight instructions generated by the one or more processors using the flight control module 334, an updated table may be created using the topology and routing manager module 326 or the topology determination module 328 based on the new locations of the network nodes. Then, the updated table may be processed by the one or more processors 310 using the solver module 332 to determine a network configuration.

The scheduling module 336 may cause the one or more processors 310 at the network controller 300 to interface with the one or more client devices 350. Using the scheduling module 336, the one or more processors 310 may receive from a client device 350 client data information to be transmitted through the network 100, such as, for example, the sources and destinations for the client data. Other information received from the client device 350 may include data related to client demand, such as amount of client data to be transmitted and a timing for transmission. The information may be stored in memory 320 and/or used according to the flow determination module 330 to determine the determined flows through the network 100.

After the determined flows are determined using the flow determination module 330 and the network configuration is generated using the solver module 332 as described above, the one or more processors may generate routing instructions for transmitting the client data through the network 100 based on the table and the generated network configuration. These routing instructions may include a source location of the client data, a destination location of the client data, and a timing for the transmission of the client data. The routing instructions may include a schedule that may be stored at a node of the network in directly connectable with the client device 350 sending the client data. The one or more processors 310 may then send the routing instructions to the node directly connectable with the client device 350 to cause the node to receive and initiate transmission of the client data over the determined flow in accordance with the schedule.

In some embodiments where flows are determined without client data information, the scheduling module 336 may cause the one or more processors 310 to send a message to a client device of the one or more client devices 350 regarding indicating availabilities of flows through the network based on the determined flows determined using the flow determination module 330 and the network configuration generated using the solver module 330. The message may also include a time or a time frame at which the flows are available and/or a price for transmission of the data associated with each flow. Using the schedule module 336, the one or more processors 310 may receive a response from one of the one or more client devices 350 that includes a request to use one of the determined flows for transmitting client data. The one or more processors 310 may then send routing instructions to the one or more nodes to initiate transmission of the client data over the determined flow.

Example Methods

In FIG. 5, flow diagram 500 is shown in accordance with some of the aspects described above that may be performed by the one or more processors 310 of the network controller 300. While FIG. 5 shows blocks in a particular order, the order may be varied and that multiple operations may be performed simultaneously. Also, operations may be added or omitted.

At block 502, the one or more processors 310 of the network controller 300 may receive information from each of the nodes within the network 100 using the topology and routing manager module 326. Information may be related to the current or predicted condition of the nodes, weather, or links at a current time or a future time. In an example scenario, location A may be received as the current location of HAP 110 a at a current time, and location C may be received as the current location of HAP 110 c at the current time. The weather conditions report from HAP 110 a and 110 c may indicate that the current weather conditions are clear at locations A and C. HAP 110 a may also send an indication to the one or more processors 310 that HAP 110 c has been unresponsive to requests to for a link 133. In addition, HAP 110 a may be predicted to travel from location A to location B in one hour from the current time. The weather forecast for location B in one hour from the current time may include a thunderstorm.

At block 504, a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network 100, such as table 400 shown in FIG. 4, may be generated or updated based on the information received from the nodes of the network using the topology and routing manager module 326. As noted above, the table may be stored in the memory 320. In the example scenario, for HAP 110 a, the table may be generated or updated to indicate that HAP 110 a is available at location A where the weather is currently clear, and that HAP 110 a is predicted to be at location B in one hour, where the weather will include a thunderstorm at that time. For HAP 110 c, the table may be generated or updated to indicate that HAP 110 c is currently located at location C. For the link 133 between HAP 110 a and 110 c, the table may be generated or updated to indicate that the link 133 has failed.

At block 506, the one or more processors 310 may determine a current and/or future topology of the network based on the table using the topology determination module 328. For the example scenario, to determine the current topology, the one or more processors 310 may access the table in the memory 320 and determine from the table and the scheduled times associated with each node and link which nodes and links are available at the current time. According to the received information about HAP 110 a and 110 c, a current topology 600 may be determined as shown in FIG. 6. The current topology may be determined to include nodes 107, 110. Specifically, HAP 110 a may be included in the current topology at location A and HAP 110 c at location C since these are the locations associated with the respective HAPs in the table for the current time. As shown by the arrows in the current topology 600, links 130-132 and 134-137 are included in the current topology, the link 133 between HAP 110 a and 110 c, which is indicated as failed for the current time, is not included (shown as a dash-dot line without arrows in FIG. 6). In another example, if HAP 110 c did not report its location at location C to one or more processors 310 but previously reported a flight path or a trajectory using the flight control module 334, the one or more processors 310 may determine that HAP 110 c currently is at location C based on the flight path or trajectory and include HAP 100 c in the current topology. Each possible link 130-132 and 134-137 in the current topology may also be labeled with link metrics, such as bandwidth, that are determined based on the received information. In the diagram of the current topology 600, solid lines indicate that links 130, 131, 134, 137 are capable of higher bandwidths, such as 3 Mbps or more, and dashed lines indicate that links 132, 135, 136 are capable of lower bandwidths, such as less than 3 Mbps.

Further in the example scenario, for a future time of one hour after the current time, a future topology 700 may be determined, as shown in FIG. 7. The one or more processors 310 may determine the location for HAP 110 a at the future time to be location B based on the location information for the future time in the table. In addition, because the table includes an indication that the weather forecast includes a thunderstorm at location B as described above, the future topology may be determined to include HAP 110 a at location B, but indicate that it is unavailable at least for FSOC. As shown in FIG. 7, the dash-dot outline of HAP 110 a indicates that HAP 110 a is unavailable in the future topology for the future time, and also shows links 130-133 in dash-dot lines to indicate that these links with HAP 100 a may also be unavailable.

Returning to FIG. 5, at block 508, information related to client data to be transmitted through network 100 may be received by the one or more processors 310 using the scheduling module 336. The client data information may be received from client devices in communication with the network controller 300. The client data information may include an amount of data, a source location, and a destination location of the client data, and a requested time of transmission. For example, in the example scenario, the received information may indicate that the amount of client data is 10 Gb, the source location for client data is ground station 107 a, the destination location is ground station 107 b, and a requested time of transmission is the current time. In some cases, the information also includes transmission requirements, such as bandwidth, class of service, quality of service, etc. In some embodiments, information related to client data may be predicted by the one or more processors 310 of the network controller 300 or by a remote system.

At block 510, the one or more processors 310 may determine one or more flows for a current or future time using the current or future topology and the client data information using the flow determination module 330. In the case of the client data requesting transmission at the current time, one or more flows may be determined for the current time. The current topology may be retrieved from the table stored in memory 320. The one or more processors 310 in the example scenario may determine that the flow for the client data may be between ground station 107 a and ground station 107 b because the source location is connectable with ground station 107 a and the destination location is connectable to ground station 107 b, and both ground stations 107 a and 107 b are available according to the current topology. In addition, the bandwidth may be determined to be a minimum of 3 Gbps for the 10 Gb of client data. On the other hand, for 5 Gb of other client data, the minimum bandwidth requirement may be 1 Gbps. Alternatively, the minimum bandwidth requirement may be set by the client device. A time frame for the flow for the 10 Gb of client data may be determined to be 5 seconds, to ensure that the client data has time to be transmitted at a minimum rate of 3 Gbps.

In some implementations, the one or more processors 310 may aggregate client data from one or more client devices for transmission through the network. For example, the 10 Gb of client data previously mentioned may be aggregated with another 10 Gb of client data from the same or different client device to also be transmitted from ground station 107 a to ground station 107 b. Based on the total amount of 20 Gb of client data, the one or more processors 310 may determine that the flow between ground stations 107 a and 107 b may require a minimum bandwidth of 4 Gbps.

At block 512, the one or more processors 310 may generate a network configuration for the current or future time based on the determined flows and the current or future topology using the solver module 332. The network configuration may include one or more routing paths and a time frame for implementation. For example, for the example scenario, a current network configuration may be determined for the current time based on the flow between ground stations 107 a and 107 b and the current topology. The current network configuration may include a routing path 800 as shown in FIG. 8. The routing path 800 (shown in block arrows) may be from ground station 107 a, through HAPs 110 a, 110 d, 110 c, to ground station 107 b, using links 130, 131, 134, and 137. The routing path does not include the link 133 between HAPs 110 a and 110 c because the current topology does not include this link 133. In addition, the routing path may not include the link 132 between HAPs 110 a and 110 b or the link 135 between HAPs 110 d and 110 b because these links do not satisfy the requirements for the flow. In this case, the link 132 between HAPs 110 a and 110 b and the link 135 between HAPs 110 d and 110 b are indicated as unable to support a bandwidth of at least 3 Gbps according to the link metrics for links 132 and 135 in the current topology. The one or more processors 310 may further determine that the time frame for implementing the current network configuration is at least from the current time to 5 seconds after the current time based on the time frame determined for the flow between ground stations 107 a and 107 b.

As further shown in FIG. 5, at block 514, the one or more processors 310 may send implementation instructions to the nodes 107, 110 of the network 100 for implementation of the generated network configuration and transmission of the client data using the topology and routing manager module 326 and/or the solver module 332. In the example scenario, for the current network configuration, the implementation instructions to nodes 107, 110 may include instructions to implement routing path 800. The implementation instructions may therefore include instructions to ground station 107 a to point a transceiver of ground station 107 a towards HAP 110 a to form link 130; instructions to HAP 110 a to point transceivers of HAP 110 a towards ground station 107 a to form link 130 and towards HAP 110 d to form link 131; instructions to HAP 110 d to point transceivers of HAP 110 d towards HAP 110 a to form link 131 and towards HAP 110 c to form link 134; instructions to HAP 110 c to point transceivers of HAP 110 c towards HAP 110 d to form link 134 and towards ground station 107 b to form link 137; and instructions to ground station 107 b to point a transceiver of ground station 107 b towards HAP 110 c to form link 137. In some cases, one or more of the links may already be formed, in which case no change to the direction of the transceivers is necessary. In addition, the implementation instructions to ground station 107 a, the start station, may include routing instructions for receipt and transmission of the client data to be transmitted via routing path 800. The routing instructions may include the source location of the client data, the destination location of the client data, the timing for transmission, and/or the rate for transmission. When the routing instructions are received at ground station 107 a, the ground station 107 a may be caused to transmit client data at the current time through the current network configuration along routing path 800.

For a network configuration generated for a future point in time, the implementation instructions may include storing scheduled changes in the network 100, such as steering transceivers to implement new routing paths, at each node that may occur before transmitting client data at the future point in time. The implementation instructions may therefore include updating routing tables at each node with new routing paths and time or a time frame for implementing the new routing paths according to the future network configuration. When the time or time frame arrives, the nodes 107, 110 of network 100 may be caused to automatically implement the future network configuration according to the implementation instructions.

Alternatively, the one or more processors 310 of network controller 300 may request client data information from the one or more client devices 350 based on a plurality of available flows in the network 100 using the scheduling module 336. To do so, the one or more processors 310 may use the flow determination module 330 to determine a plurality of available flows between nodes directly connectable with client devices, such as ground stations 107 a, 107 b, based on the current or future topology. The plurality of available flows may alternatively be determined without receiving client data information and may include performance metrics for each flow. After determining the plurality of possible flows between nodes directly connectable with client devices, the one or more processors 310 may use the scheduling module 336 send a message to a first client device of the one or more client devices 350 via the communication system 340. The messages may include a list of available flows from the plurality of available flows that are between the node directly connectable to the first client device and all other nodes directly connectable to other client devices. In addition, the message may include a request for client data information for transmission through the network 100. A response may be received from the first client device including the client data information, which may then be used by the one or more processors 310 to generate and implement the network configuration using the solver module 332 as described above.

In another alternative embodiment, the client data information received at block 508 may not include a requested time for transmission or the requested time for transmission may not be feasible based on the topology of the network at the requested time. The one or more processors 310 of the network controller 300 may then determine a scheduled time for transmission for the client data using the scheduling module 336. The scheduled time may be determined based on the table representing all of the available nodes and possible links in the network 100 at a given time or time frame. For example, client data information may include a request to transmit 5 Gb of client data at the future time, one hour after the current time. Based on the source location and destination location in the client data information, the start station may be determined to be ground station 107 a and the destination station may be determined to be ground station 107 b. However, based on the future topology 700, shown in FIG. 7, HAP 110 a is unavailable at the future time and therefore link 130 is also unavailable at the future time. Using the table stored in memory 320, the one or more processors 310 may then identify a second future time, which is the earliest time at which link 130 becomes available or a link between ground station 107 a and another HAP, such as HAPs 110 b-d, becomes available. The transmission of the 5 Gb of client data may then be scheduled to be at the second future time. The second future network configuration for the second future time may be generated to include a routing path between ground stations 107 a and 107 b. Alternatively, the second future network configuration may be updated to include the routing path between ground stations 107 a and 107 b if the second future network configuration was generated without the routing path.

The features described above may provide for a reliable way for users to transmit data to different parts of the world. A communication network created using the features described may provide users with network coverage that is more robust to fade and outages. Because of this, end users of the communication network are more likely to use the network because it may provide more reliable transmission of data. In addition, because of the mobility of the nodes end users may therefore have increased accessibility to datacenters and other points of interest worldwide.

Unless otherwise stated, the foregoing alternative examples are not mutually exclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations to achieve unique advantages. As these and other variations and combinations of the features discussed above can be utilized without departing from the subject matter defined by the claims, the foregoing description of the embodiments should be taken by way of illustration rather than by way of limitation of the subject matter defined by the claims. In addition, the provision of the examples described herein, as well as clauses phrased as “such as,” “including” and the like, should not be interpreted as limiting the subject matter of the claims to the specific examples; rather, the examples are intended to illustrate only one of many possible embodiments. Further, the same reference numbers in different drawings can identify the same or similar elements. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a network controller configured to: generate a series of network configurations for a network, the network having a plurality of nodes that includes a first node that is in motion relative to a second node, wherein the series of network configurations includes a first network configuration based on a current topology of the network for a current time, a second network configuration based on a first predicted future topology of the network for a first future time, and a third network configuration based on a second predicted future topology of the network for a second future time, the first network configuration identifying a plurality of first links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the current time, the second network configuration identifying a plurality of second links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the first future time, and the third network configuration identifying a plurality of third links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the second future time, wherein the plurality of first, second and third links are subsets of possible links in the network; generate a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on information received from the plurality of nodes; determine, based on the generated table, the current topology of the network for the current time, a first predicted future topology of the network for a first time, and a second predicted future topology of the network for a second future time; receive client data information from one or more client devices; determine a plurality of flows for each of the topologies based on the client data information, each of the plurality of flows comprising one or more requirements for a routing path through the network; generate a network configuration for each of the topologies based on the determined plurality of flows; and send implementation instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the network configurations over time, the implementation instructions including instructions to establish the plurality of first links at the current time, form the plurality of second links at the first future time, and form the plurality of third links at the second future time.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of nodes.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes include one or more ground stations and one or more high-altitude platforms.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to perform free-space optical communication.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client data information comprises historical client data trends, and the network controller is configured to determine the plurality of flows for the current topology and the predicted future topology by predicting the client data information based on the historical client data trends.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network configuration and the second network configuration includes one or more routing paths, each routing path satisfying the one or more requirements of one of the plurality of flows.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the implementation instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network cause the plurality of nodes to steer one or more transceiver based on the one or more routing paths.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the implementation instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network cause at least one of the plurality of nodes to update a routing table according to the one or more routing paths.
 9. A method comprising: generating, by a network controller for a network, a series of network configurations for the network, wherein the network has a plurality of nodes that includes a first node that is in motion relative to a second node, wherein the series of network configurations includes a first network configuration based on a current topology of the network for a current time, a second network configuration based on a first predicted future topology of the network for a first future time, and a third network configuration based on a second predicted future topology of the network for a second future time, the first network configuration identifying a plurality of first links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the current time, the second network configuration identifying a plurality of second links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the first future time, and the third network configuration identifying a plurality of third links to be established using the plurality of nodes at the second future time, wherein the plurality of first, second and third links are subsets of possible links in the network; generating a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on information received from the plurality of nodes; determining, based on the generated table, the current topology of the network for the current time, a first predicted future topology of the network for a first time, and a second predicted future topology of the network for a second future time; receiving client data information from one or more client devices; determining a plurality of flows for each of the topologies based on the client data information, each of the plurality of flows comprising one or more requirements for a routing path through the network; generating, by the network controller for the network, a network configuration for each of the topologies based on the determined plurality of flows; and sending implementation instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the network configurations over time, the implementation instructions including instructions to establish the plurality of first links at the current time, form the plurality of second links at the first future time, and form the plurality of third links at the second future time.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the client data information comprises historical client data trends, and the method further comprises determining, by the network controller, the plurality of flows for the current topology and the predicted future topology by predicting the client data information based on the historical client data trends.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network configuration includes one or more routing paths, each routing path satisfying the one or more requirements of one of the plurality of flows.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the implementation instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network cause the plurality of nodes to steer one or more transceiver based on the one or more routing paths.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the implementation instructions sent to the plurality of nodes of the network cause at least one of the plurality of nodes to update a routing table according to the one or more routing paths.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to perform free-space optical communication. 